Seems obvious what would separate these things, but it’s worth revisiting as the definitions evolve online (and in the real world). I’ll use a new product called Truvia as a case study because I think Truvia is launching their product utilizing different channels wisely. I do not endorse Truvia. I’ve recently become very disappointed in some things I’ve learned about nationally distributed sweetners like Splenda or Aspartame. It’s sickening to know these products are approved and so widely used, especially in mass-distributed products like diet sodas and sugarless foods. From what I’ve learned about their toxicity, these sweetners should not be fed to any living thing. So with that in mind, I don’t know about Truvia the product. But Truvia the brand is a good example.

The LOGO
Call it an icon or call it a logo, a company’s logo is often the most visual connection anyone has with a product or company. In the world of social media (ie.. Facebook or Twitter) a logo is actually a person’s avatar, or profile photo. It carries the same weight and serves the same purpose as a company logo. Through repeated impressions, the audience makes a visual connection with the logo. Logos are usually part of an overall “graphic language”. Truvia’s logo is the result of market research. I’m guessing the green color was selected because the color green is trendy now due to the new “green” economy.

Branding
The word is becoming overused, especially online. Branding is the collection of all things an audience will experience, and how all the brand elements work together. For company’s the logo(s), color palette, photo style, typeface, tag line, brand message, placement, treatment or any other connection the audience has defines the brand. Personal branding uses the same ideas, but it becomes more personal. An individual’s Twitter profile, avatar, background, tweets, etc… accomplish the same thing.
The goal is to be consistent. Strong brands like UPS or Coke are strong brands through consistent use of brand elements. Through consistency, trust is established. Take a look at Truvia’s web page. The branding is pretty clear:

Advertising
Advertising builds brand awareness. Traditional advertising channels such as television, radio or print can be effective, especially when complimented online and in social media. With Truvia, I had first heard about the product in a television ad during the Today show. This was my first exposure to their brand, and liked the visual representation.

Marketing
PR and Marketing are the things a company or individual does to communicate all the benefits of the product (or service). There’s usually a strategy or marketing plan to utilize everything available (television, print, twitter, POS, packaging, promotions). The plan is to communicate a consistent message across all mediums. In the case of Truvia, I saw the television ad, then received a direct message from them on Twitter right after I criticized Splenda. The DM was an offer to send me a free sample.

PR is all about creating “buzz”. There’s an art to engaging media to get articles published and to get someone else to talk about you or your product. Recently, Twitter and Facebook have been a hot trend, and the people like @zaibatsu@micah or @AlohaArleen who are the successful at building their online influence have strong personal “brands” by creating buzz and being consistent. Truvia created buzz another way by doing actual taste tests with their product:

Promotions
This is a part of the marketing mix that is designed to specifically change consumer behavior by presenting a benefit. Things like coupons, rebates or special events can garner a response that impacts the brand positively. Better yet, good promotions will help consumers perceive one brand as being better than competition. The Truvia website shows a number of promotions highlighting the natural ingredient used to make the product.

It’s a new world and social media is approaching critical mass. New companies like Truvia are using the channels right. Individuals wishing to build their personal brand have all the tools available for free online. Hopefully this will help.
Have a point of difference. Be consistent.

Having a solid brand is as important now as it ever was. However, the word, “brand” is taking on a different meaning as we move towards a socially networked world (in this article, “brand” will simply mean outward projection). Smart companies invest in making sure their brand registers in the happy place of consumers at point of purchase. But as social networking weaves its way into our every day life it’s becoming more important for individuals as well as companies to have their own “brand” which can sometimes be just a screen name and an avatar. At the recent Future of Web Apps (#FOWA) conference I picked up a tweet posted by @thomascox and @waynesutton who reported from the virgin.com presentation, “”It’s no longer about the brand, it’s about you, social networking isn’t about the brand it’s about connecting people with people”. What I take away from that is your ability to connect with people defines an individual “brand”. That connection is has to do with everything BUT trying to sell them something.

One of the best individual brands online is Gary Vaynerchuck (@garyvee) from Wine Library. His name, picture and personality are what people identify him by. Gary is one person who has leveraged social networking to connect with people. That has translated into PR success in traditional media like TV and print.

A good brand will register on the front of the brain, near the eyeballs. A great brand will flow past the eyeballs and register on the back of the brain. It becomes something more interesting on the subconscious level. When I create a brand I want to go even deeper and register with someone’s Lizard Brain. There the branding imprints like a metal press on an assembly line stamping the message permanently. I want an audience to roll their eyes back in their head and slobber all over themselves when the brand message massages the yummy serotonin out of their Limbic system like warm liquid magma.

If a logo is an outward sign of an inward belief, then a brand is a collection of elements, including your logo, that project your personality.. The elements making up a brand are also things like an avatar, screen name, color scheme, tag line, attitude, photographic style, placement, frequency, cloud patterns, font usage and anything else that make an audience think about you or your company. Branding is the first thing your customers or audience see. In a digital space like a web site there are more possibilities to “brand” but it needs to be consistent.

I’ve seen so many business owners who have to wear all the hats. They’ll think about cash flow, legal, computer systems, product development, marketing and sales among other things. The outward projection of their brand is an afterthought. The problem is, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Before a customer decides if they want you or your product, they’ve already formed an opinion subconsciously based on your branding. Don’t half-ass it and wait until the end. Make it a priority from the start.

A recent example is of a winery owner who spent $50 million to buy a vineyard and winery. He hired a rock star winemaker and invested in a high caliber barrel program. Then it came to the label for his wine. He asked the architect working on his house to “throw something together”. The architect was paid $100 to design the label. That just doesn’t make sense to me. Why would you spend all that time and money but then cut corners on the one thing customers are going to see on the bottle? It’s not the business owner fault, it’s just not his strong point.
It’s like building a Ferrari from the ground up using the best tires, engine and suspension, but putting a cheap plastic exterior over it. The pie chart of anyone’s business should have a nice fat slice dedicated to design and branding. Successful companies do that. Apple computer allocates 30% of their product development to design. Coincidence? I think not.

Creating a successful brand takes commitment from the start. The following brand building steps are more for companies but individuals can also take away something:

+ Research! – Take time to understand your market by doing visual research. Pull the logos of companies you’d appear next to at a trade show. Think about where your new logo or branding will appear. Embroidered on a polo? Printed on the side of a truck? Digitally on a web page? Different applications require different design styles.

+ A logo is an outward sign of an inward belief. What’s the belief? Often times that shows up as a mission statement, but I challenge clients to develop a passion statement. What is it about you your audience will be passionate about?

+ Pick 3-5 logos or brands you really love from any industry. For whatever reason you gravitate to those….perhaps it’s the colors, or the illustrative style. Whatever. If you are working with a graphic designer it will give them a flavor of what to aim for.

+ The first 3 items listed above get overlooked all the time. You can’t just sit down and start drawing something.

+ Thumbnails. I like to sit with a client somewhere out of the office and do a number of rapid fire thumbnail sketches. The rule is you spend less than 20 seconds on each one. Don’t focus on quality, just quantity of quick little sketches. When I designed the Denver Broncos identity with Ken Black and David Odusanya at NIKE, we literally sketched hundreds of little horses (maybe thousands).

+ What happens next is usually a good place for a designer to lead the process. You can whittle down your sketches to 3-5 you really like. The designer can start to illustrate it further adding color and font.

+ As logo, color scheme and font start to take shape it forms the Graphic Language. The Graphic Language becomes the foundation for your brand.

Social Networking has splintered the notion of a brand. For companies, it’s still critical to connect with consumers. For individuals and savvy companies it’s becoming more. Successful branding in the web 2.0 has more to do with connecting with people on other levels that don’t have to do with you selling them something.